Ethnoecology, Resource Use, Conservation And Development In A ...

when the mother has been hunted, and the most popular bird species seem to be the
only ones for whom great dedicated efforts are made. The capture of wild animals for
the pet trade was formerly an occupation undertaken by large numbers of Wapishana
men. The documented trade focused on psittacine birds, in particular macaws, and
other showy avian species such as toucans. In the early 1990's the annual harvest of
birds from the Rupununi region as a whole was estimated to be a total of 8,000,
about one-third of the total national export figure (ARU 1992: 41). Involvement
seems to have been demand-driven, and the absence of buyers in recent years has
led to the virtual cessation of the trade in Maruranau, although some less remote
villages such as Parikwarawaunau and Sand Creek still retain seasonal involvement in a
trade now apparently dominated by passerines.
Interviews with former trappers shows them to be at best only faintly aware of
the origins and motives of their buyers and of the destination and fate of the animals
sold, and of the legal and political factors that have been responsible for the change
in circumstances. The arrival of a purported buyer stimulated one group to resume
trapping macaws expeditions, although to no avail as the trader never returned to
purchase the birds. During the course of this study, a Georgetown-based animal
trader visited Maruranau and several other Wapishana villages, expressing an interest
in purchasing live specimens of more unusual species, including several species of
anurans, chelonians, and other herps, as well as some invertebrates, such as
poisonous spiders. After a process of public debate, the village decided to accept his
proposition and supply the animals requested. Although no sales had been made by
the time of my departure, numerous people were by that time keeping animals they
had collected in anticipation of his return, indicating that levels of interest in trapping
as a source of income remain high.
4.4 Fishing
All aquatic habitats are exploited for fish, all species of which are considered edible. A
variety of methods are used, depending on a number of factors, such as the time of
year, habitat type, and fish species being sought. Many exploit the seasonal
movements of fish: seines are set and traps built to intercept fish moving downriver
after spawning in the headwaters, as the waters drop from their peak at the height of
the rainy season. Traps may range from small funnel-like structures woven in a couple
of hours from palm fronds and vines, to huge stockades built across major creeks
over several weeks and often left in place for months. Seines are placed throughout
the rainy season in savannah lakes or deep pools in major rivers. Line fishing is